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Arsenal May Covet a Red Bull on the Rise

By Jack Bell August 20, 2011 1:01 pmAugust 20, 2011 1:01 pm

In the last month, Red Bulls defender Tim Ream has turned out for Major League Soccer’s All-Stars against Manchester United and helped lead his team to a surprise victory at the Emirates Cup in London.

Andy Marlin/Getty ImagesAt 23, Tim Ream, a defender for the Red Bulls, has become an intriguing prospect for the United States national team.

The obvious reason for the host of that four-team London tournament, Arsenal of the English Premier League, to invite the Red Bulls was that they feature Thierry Henry, the Gunners’ career goals leader. But Arsenal has shown more than a passing interest in Ream, 23, a central defender who has established himself in M.L.S. Ream has become an intriguing prospect for the United States national team, and has also caught the attention of scouts for some top European clubs.

“They are following Tim regularly and have done for a while, and they have told me the same,” Erik Soler, the Red Bulls’ general manager and sporting director, said last Saturday night in reference to Arsenal.

“We have not had an offer for Tim, and my personal opinion is that he should stay here this season and next,” Soler said. “It would be good for him.”

Ream, a native of St. Louis, is obligated to the Red Bulls for two more option years. This season and in his rookie year, when he played in 30 games, he earned a little more than $55,000, plus performance bonuses. Ream was drafted by the Red Bulls out of St. Louis University, having never played at any level for a United States national team. Red Bulls Coach Hans Backe once compared him to Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand.

Before the end of last season, the Red Bulls offered to tear up Ream’s contract, a move confirmed by Soler and Ream’s agent, Patrick McCabe. They proposed a five-year deal that could have tripled his salary, but Ream turned it down.

M.L.S. declined to confirm reports than Arsenal made an offer for Ream last year, one believed to be in the $1 million range.

Arsenal, which opened its regular season last Saturday with a scoreless tie against Newcastle United, is in the throes of upheaval with the sale of Cesc Fàbregas to Barcelona and the expected exit of Samir Nasri, probably to Manchester City. The transfer period in England, and elsewhere in Europe, concludes at the end of August, making it unlikely that Ream could move anytime soon.

“I think he wants to go into a good situation,” McCabe said in a telephone interview. “He’s not wide-eyed about going to Europe, and he’s realistic about his own game and knows he can improve. He knows he has to stay in the national team picture and that in the long term he needs to be in Europe.

“If he learned anything last year, it’s that he’s been lucky to get the opportunity he’s gotten. But he’s also seen that it’s a different level when he gets into the national team camps and trains with guys who are competing in Europe every week.”

Ream trained with the national team in Philadelphia for the recent debut of coach Jurgen Klinsmann, but he did not dress for the match, a 1-1 tie against Mexico on Aug. 10.

For Soler and the Red Bulls, Ream is a relatively inexpensive, every-game player who has been solid in the defense during his season and a half in M.L.S. And with the substantial financial backing of its parent energy-drink company, the club does not have to sell players to feather its bottom line. The league owns all player contracts and negotiates, initially, any potential transfers.

“Whether it’s Arsenal or any other team, top teams want young guys,” Ream said. “At the end of the day, teams look for experienced center backs. You never know. Doors are always opening and closing, but there’s always another door opening.”

In an e-mail, Ivan Gazidis, Arsenal’s chief executive, who was the deputy commissioner of M.L.S. until November 2008, said. “We never comment on player speculation affirmatively or negatively.”

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Goal, The New York Times soccer blog, will report on news and features from the world of soccer and around the Web. Times editors and reporters will follow international tournaments and provide analysis of games. There will be interviews with players, coaches and notable soccer fans, as well as a weekly blog column by Red Bulls forward Jozy Altidore. Readers can discuss Major League Soccer, foreign leagues and other issues with fellow soccer fans.